Carrot Cake, Redux-Style

You didn't think I could let 11 pounds of carrots pass me by without making the all time treat of carrot cake, did you? Well, have no fear... I did indeed make carrot cake (and will probably make some more too, next weekend though...). This is more of what's termed a "snacking cake" rather than the layered baked treats you usually see in the stores - no frosting, usually square, and rather dense. It's the ideal thing to have with a cup of coffee, or whenever your workday gets just too wound up and you need a hit of sweetness and (of course) chocolate to get you through.

The original version of this cake was one I spotted at a new blog I found, Sweet Charity Pie. I had to make a lot of changes, especially when it came to pan size - the original called for a 9x13" pan, which would have been okay if I was looking for carrot crackers. I used a 9" square after seeing the lack of batter in my bowl, and it fit perfectly. What surprised me most was what these cake squares looked like coming out of the oven - I thought I had put cocoa powder in the mix! Those Purple Haze carrots I shredded up sure add a whack of colour to everything, not to mention the moisture... these thing were just oozing with caramelly, chocolatey richness.

Carrot Snacking Cake

Serves 10
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 1/2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

1. Preheat your oven to 350F, and grease and flour a 9" pan.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. In another bowl, beat together cornstarch and water until smooth. Add oil, egg and vanilla.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir together until well combined.
5. Fold in the ginger, carrots, chocolate and nuts.
6. Spread evenly in the pan.
7. Bake 30 minutes, cool completely in the pan on a rack.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 303.1
Total Fat: 17.8 g
Cholesterol: 17.7 mg
Sodium: 22.7 mg
Total Carbs: 33.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g
Protein: 4.1 g